Rapid Release Rooftop Tent Mount

ABSTRACT

A bottom bracket made with a box at its center and a flange on opposing sides. Over each flange, on the side of the box, are two equal, opposing through-holes. Each flange is drilled with holes to allow the bracket to be bolted to a roof rack rail. A top bracket made in a box shape with an open bottom to fit over the box-shaped bottom bracket and with the top of the top bracket fabricated to accept two bolts that will screw into an adapter fitted into a rail slot on the underside of a roof-top tent. The top bracket is also has two opposing through-holes matching the through-holes on the sides of the bottom bracket. The top and bottom brackets held together by a locking quick-release pin inserted through the through-hole on the sides of the top and bottom brackets.

BACKGROUND

The inspiration for this invention is to create a rapid-release method to affix a rooftop tent to a vehicle roof-rack and to quickly and easily remove the rooftop tent from the vehicle roof-rack. The space between the bottom of the rooftop tent and the vehicle roof rack is very small . . . no more than 6 inches. Generally a person must use up to eight (8) nuts and bolts to secure a rooftop tent to a vehicle roof rack. This requires several hours pushing ones arms into a cramped, metal space to affix the nuts to the bolts and then several hours uninstalling the nuts and bolts leading to lost time and leaving arms with bruises and abrasions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention solves the problem of the extensive time and energy lost securing nuts and bolts in the cramped, hard-to-access space between the bottom of a rooftop tent and the top of a vehicle. This invention consists of three parts: part one bolts to a vehicle roof-rack, part two bolts to the underside of a rooftop tent, and part three fits through opposing holes in the sides of the parts one and two after part two has been lowered onto part one. The insertion of part three locks in place parts one and two thereby securing the rooftop tent to the vehicle roof-rack. The present invention allows the user to insert one piece of locking hardware to secure their rooftop tent to their roof-rack and then to remove that same piece of locking hardware to remove their rooftop tent from their roof-rack.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The legend in the drawing provides a numerical guide to the relevant parts of the invention. 1—bottom bracket; 2—top bracket; 3—locking quick-release pin; 4—flanges of the bottom bracket; 5—opposing holes drilled in the sides of the brackets where the quick-release locking pin is inserted; 6—holes to bolt bottom bracket to roof-rack rail; and 7—holes to bolt top bracket to underside of rooftop tent.

Image A shows the bottom bracket (1), top bracket (2), and locking pin (3) unassembled as seen from the front or back. Image B shows one (1), two (2), and three (3) (top and bottom brackets and locking pin) assembled as seen from the front or back. In images A and B the flanges that protrude from the sides of the bottom bracket (1) can be seen an indicated by the number 4. Image C shows the bottom bracket (1) and top bracket (2), unassembled, as seen from the side. Image D shows the top bracket (2) atop the bottom bracket (1), as seen assembled from the side but without the locking quick-release pin (part 3) inserted. Image E is a top view of the mount that shows the perpendicular alignment of the bottom bracket (1) (with only the flanges (4) visible and showing the holes (6) to bolt the bottom bracket to the roof-rack rail) and the top bracket (2) (showing the holes (7) to bolt the top bracket to the underside of the rooftop tent). Also visible in image E, protruding from the mid-section of 2, are the ends of the locking quick-release pin (3).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The purpose of this invention is to serve as a rapid-release/quick-release mount for a rooftop tent.

People wanting to secure a rooftop tent to a vehicle roof-rack have limited options. The most frequently used option is to bolt the rooftop tent to the rack. This rapid-release rooftop tent mount invention employs a locking quick-release pin (number 3 in the drawing) to secure a flanged bottom bracket (number 1) to a top bracket (number 2) on the underside of the rooftop tent. The flanged bottom bracket consists of fabricated steel formed into the shape of a box 1-2 inches high, by 1-2 inches wide by 1-2 inches long. The flanges (number 4) are on opposite sides of the box with each side having two holes (number 6) so that the bracket may be bolted to the roof- 

We claim:
 1. A roof-top tent mount apparatus comprising: a bottom bracket with opposing holes in the sides (through-holes) which bolts to crossbars on a vehicle roof rack; a top bracket with opposing holes in the sides (through-holes) that match the through-holes of said bottom bracket which bolts to the bottom of a roof-top tent and which fits securely over and on top of said bottom bracket; and a locking quick-release pin which is inserted through said through-holes of said top and bottom brackets to secure said brackets together, thereby securing the roof-top tent to the vehicle roof rack. 